Did Republican Greg Gianforte’s body slamming, punching, and choking a liberal reporter actually help his standing with Montana Republicans? I say yes, and here’s my proof:
I live in Ravalli County, and on the front page of today’s Ravalli Republic is a story about how the last-minute voter turnout was much higher than expected due to the Gianforte controversy. A reasonable human being would expect that the increased turnout would tighten the race, as voters would be coming out to show their displeasure with Gianforte’s behavior. Instead, Ravalli County voted 60% to 35% in favor of Greg “The Body Slammer” Gianforte.
Yes, more Republicans voted because of the assault than would have if the assault had never happened! There is no sugarcoating it: Republican voters are morally bankrupt, repugnant people. As Donald Trump famously said, “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.”